


Between lead lines lies a fractured heart.

by TheCuriousCat



Series: Worlds separated by a garden fence. [2]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Dark Ori, F/M, Female Bilbo Baggins, Fey Ori, King Thorin, Painter Ori, Recovering Bilbo Baggins, Young Bilbo Baggins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-17 21:34:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29599068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCuriousCat/pseuds/TheCuriousCat
Summary: Ori had been honored when she had been selected by King Thorin to go into the human world and draw a portrait of one Bilba Baggins. She knew it was because of skill and not because of her brothers standing in the kings inner circle. Unlike his father and grandfather King Thorin choose those he thought worthy not those with connections.Ori didn't expect Bilba to be so cute! She hadn't gotten to see her last time. Ori also didn't expect to bring more than King Thorin asked for but she should have.She's always been an overachiever.
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield, pre Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield
Series: Worlds separated by a garden fence. [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2172774
Comments: 14
Kudos: 67





	Between lead lines lies a fractured heart.

It's been a year since Otho went missing and Bilba hasn't said a word. Not to mommy and daddy, not to the policemen and woman, not to the doctor her daddy took her to. 

What is she supposed to say?   
That her cousin ate all of her magical candy given to her by two people only she could see?  
That they were taken to a magical city that disappeared in the sunlight?  
That she didn't see the point in looking for Otho because she knew that he had been eaten?  
Or maybe that no matter how much they betrayed her she still missed Fili and Kili every day?

No, better not to say a word.

It had been a year since Bilba had moved, her mommy and daddy still owned the house she grew up in but they didn't want to live there anymore. She hated how much she wanted to stay, how she found herself humming the toons she had heard in Fili and Kili's ballroom when she was lost in thought. Hated how the king in his throne haunted her dreams with that pointed smile of his.

Just keep smiling, can't make mommy cry again.

It had been a year and Bilba decided enough was enough. She resolved to talk to the first child she saw in the playground today, not about the thoughts that plagued her. About small things. She nodded to herself and picked up her sketchbook before leaving the room.

* * *

The playground wasn't too busy which would have made Bilba's new goal easier if the girls she could see didn't belong to Lobelia's friend group. She looked around again and felt her resolve crumble. Maybe this was a sign, maybe she wasn't meant to speak again. Punishment for failing Otho or letting her parents take her away from Fili and Kili, she was no longer sure.

She sighs and turns to leave when she spots a small brunette girl sitting on the park bench facing the playground. She is drawing in her own sketchbook and seems happy to ignore the world. What draws Bilba in is that for the first time she doesn't feel quite so hollow. 

Resolve back Bilba makes her way over. "... Hello..." Her voice is tiny and scratchy since it's been so long out of use but the girl still looks up in shock. 

Shock turns to delight and she holds out a hand covered in knitted gloves. "Hi!" The girls says happily. Bilba takes her hand after juggling her sketchbook and pencils. "Would you like to sit with me? Oh! I'm Ori by the way."

".... Bilba..." She says with a little cough before sitting down. 

"Do you like drawing too?" Ori asks as she nods to Bilba's sketchbook, she nods. "Can I see?" 

She hesitates because the book is filled with the magical city and the things she'd seen in it but hands it over anyway. She's trying to make friends and being closed off hinders that. Ori's smile is blinding as she carefully takes the sketchbook. As Ori flicks through the pages she imagines the scenes. There were dancing people frozen to an unknown beat, guards halfway through a march, the twisting streets and bending buildings. Then there are the ones of Fili looking up at the stars, the ones of Kili running through the trees. The single picture of the king, leaning forward in his throne while his pointed teeth glinted.

"Wow" Ori says at the end. "You're really good. Do you want to see mine?" 

Bilba nods and Ori hands it over. If Bilba's drawings where good then Ori's were masterpieces. Both completely beautiful and utterly terrifying because they are of the same things as hers. It makes a sick sort of sense Bilba thinks as she looks at the picture of the star haired man. Ori's presence filled the gap inside her just like Fili and Kili had, a gap she hadn't noticed until they were gone. It hurts, it hurts so much. She feels Ori leaning into her side, feels her place her chin on her shoulder.

"What's wrong Bilba? Don't you want to look at the rest?" Ori asks sounding completely like the innocent little girl she was pretending to be. "It's okay if you don't, we can just draw if you want." Ori assures her softly as she takes the sketchbook back. Bilba thinks she's going to cry.

"Her mutie!" Lobelia calls as she comes over, Ori stiffens at her side and in the corner of her eye Bilba can see Ori's teeth sharpening to points just like the kings. "What are you doing sitting by yourself? Doing freak things I bet!" Lobelia's friends laugh and Bilba glares. She doesn't say a word however, like always. Lobelia and her friends tease Bilba for another few minutes while Ori gets angrier then they get bored and leave.

" _... Please don't kill them..._ " She whispers. " _... They're just children..._ "

Ori seems to force herself to calm down before she speaks again. "I think we should make a deal." Bilba swallows, knowing what Ori is makes it more prudent to watch what she says. "I won't kill them if you let me dress you up and draw you."

Bilba's eyes narrow. "... One drawing...." She finally says making Ori smile.

"Promise! Deal?" She holds her knitted mitten covered hand up again and Bilba slowly takes it.

"..... Deal...." 

"Great! Come on!" Ori pulls her up, scoops up both of their sketchbooks then drags her away from the playground. "I have the perfect place!"

* * *

The place Ori had taken her to was very pretty and the dress she pulled her into was even more so.

"... Do I really have to wear this?..."

"Of course! We made a deal now sit still so I can do your hair." Bilba settled, still half scared that Ori would kidnap her but willing to honor her part of the deal to save Lobelia's life. She may not like the girl but that didn't mean she wanted her dead. "And done! You look so cute! They'll love this!"

It stills Bilba's heart to hear this and she ends up frozen for a time, something that Ori takes full advantage of. Sketching away like it was the only thing that mattered in the world. Finally Bilba finds her voice. "... Who?..."

"Hmm?"

"... Who will love this?..."

"Oh! Their majesties of course! They're the ones who wanted me to draw you, they'll be so happy to know that you posed for it!" Ori says happily while she contunues to draw. Watching her put pencil to paper is truly the only thing that keeps Bilba breathing at this point. They had asked for a drawing of her! Had actually **sent** someone to draw her for them!... They knew where she was!

The thoughts spin around her head like a tornado... She should have stayed home. "...How are they?..." She ends up saying before she can think. Ori's pencil comes to a hault.

"What?" 

Well there's no backing out now, not with how wide and sharp Ori's smile is getting. ".... How are Fili and Kili?.... Are they well?..."

Ori practically beams at her. "The princes are doing very well though they miss you terribly you know. The king too is worried after it was found that you had moved away."

"... I wanted to stay..." She whispers, she doesn't mean to say it but t's just so easy to talk to Ori. Someone her own age who also knows what's going on.

"Really? Everyone will be glad to hear it. King Thorin was very upset when he thought he scared you away, he'll be most glad to know that isn't the case!"

Bilba wants to say that the only reason she didn't fight to stay was because King Thorin (It was weird knowing his name now) **had** scared her, him as well as his nephews, but she can't with Ori smiling so brightly.

Why can't she just be normal?

* * *

Bilba makes it home before dark only to realize that Ori still had her sketchbook. She'd go back out for it but her mommy would get mad if she did, Bilba's not been allowed outside in the dark since Otho's disappearance. She decides to go looking for it in the morning and goes to bed. Her dreams filled with images of Fili, Kili and king Thorin like they always are.

In the morning she gets dressed and heads downstairs only to stop in her tracks, sitting at her dinning room table are two police officers. They are here to ask her if she'd seen where Lobelia and her friends went yesterday after the playground. They tell her that they didn't go home yesterday and that there parents are worried. That anything she can tell them will be helpful.

Bilba feels like she's under water, feels like she's drowning. "I won't kill them" Ori had said. " ** _I_** won't kill them" Bilba feels so stupid! Why did all her friends turn out to be child murdering monsters?!

* * *

Thorin sits on his throne and looks between the six little girls crying in front of him and the two elder Ri siblings.

"Why are they here?" He asks, a valid question really. Usually the children collected went into the candy garden until the star feast. Them being brought before the court was unheard of.

"I don't know my king." Dori admits. "Ori said that you'd want them here when she got back, which should be any second now."

Thorin leans forward in his throne, Fili and Kili copying him in excitement. "Ori found her?!" He asks.

"I did!" Ori says as she rushes in happily. "Here my king." She hands a sketchbook to Dwalin who takes it up to him.

Fili, Kili and Dis join him as he flicks through it. It becomes clear very fast that this is Bilba's and he becomes enamored with how she saw his kingdom even in her fear. The last page holds a [sketch](https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/662873638902999639/) done by Ori and it takes his breath away.

"How did you get this done without her noticing?" He asks as he closes the sketchbook.

"Oh it wasn't done without her knowledge my king." Ori says happily. "She **posed** for it and she knew it was going to you and your family."

"She posed for it!" Kili cries happily.

"She knew we were getting it!" Fili joins in, he doesn't blame them. They've both missed the little thing very much.

"Yes. She even asked after you **and** told me that she never wanted to leave in the first place." Fili and Kili have to sit down with how happy they are which makes him smile.

"If she wished to stay then why didn't you bring her back?" He asks, Ori shoots the girls on the floor a dirty look.

"Because they called her a freak among other nasty words and I thought you'd like to have them punished more, plus the original reason she let me dress her up was because I promised that **I** wouldn't kill them."

Thorin looks back to the crying girls and grins. "You are correct cousin, here." He offers the sketchbook back to her. "If you could make sure this is in my family wing while we ... deal... with this that would be very helpful."

Ori's grin matches his own as she skips up and takes is. "Of course my king, have fun." She laughs as she leaves the room.

Kili is the first to launch himself at the little girls but Fili is quick to follow. Thorin shares a look with Dis as the girls start screaming. "Are you sure they're of age?" He asks her making her laugh.

Bilba may not be here yet but he didn't mind, he had all the time in the world to get her after all.


End file.
